Lifter for cans or the like



NOV- 11, 1941- J. A. FERRARA LIFTER FOR'CANS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 5,1939 Patented Nov. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention pertains to lifters for cans and the like and provides anarticle of the described class to be used for lifting any can or otherutensil which has a ila-nge or bead at the upper periphery thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide an article of thedescribed class which permits the lifting and carrying of utensilscontaining hot or cold material which would be uncomfortable ordangerous to handle with the bare hands and which may also be readilyattached and detached from the article to which it may be temporarilyattached.

A still further and highly important object of the invention is toprovide a lifter which is extremely simple in construction and which atthe same time is sufliciently rugged to withstand constant and frequentuse.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide a devicewhich may be formed from a single piece of material, thereby reducingsubstantially the cost of manufacture.

On the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional View taken substantially along the line 2-2of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of that form of the device otherwise shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of a modified form of my inventionwhich includes hand operable lever means for restricted movement of theretainer clip, hereinafter described.

Fig. 6 is a top plan View of that modified form of the inventionotherwise shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional View taken along the line T-l of Fig. 5.

As shown on the drawing:

The numeral I indicates the handle portion of my invention which, in itspreferred form, for the purpose of giving additional strength thereto,has formed along the lateral edges thereof the pair of down-turnedparallel flanges shown on the drawing and indicated by the numeral Ia.

Formed of the same piece of material, but bent downwardly with respectto the handle at an obtuse angle substantially as shown in Fig. 1 is ahead portion 2, which together with the other portions formed integraltherewith and hereinafter described forms the lower support for mydevice when attached to a can or utensil.

Illustrated on the drawing and indicated by the numeral 2a and formed,as shown, at the lowermost portion of the head portion are a pair ofprotrusions which are placed outwardly from the main body of thematerial. Also formed on head portion 2 are the pair of outwardly formedlugs 2b in opposed relation to one another forming supports to underliethe bead of the can or vessel to be lifted.

Centrally formed with relation to elements 2b is an upwardly extendingportion 2c which is formed when clip portion 3, hereinafter described,is shaped from the main body of the material.

The numeral 3 is used to indicate the engaging and retaining clip orhook which is preferably formed integral with the main body of thematerial forming the remainder of the device, and which is provided withthe pair of downwardly extending projections or lugs indicated by thenumeral 3a. Formed from the main body of the material and extendingupwardly along a portion of the clip 3 and substantially in thedirection of the handle is a rib indicated by the numeral 4, the purposeof which is to lend strength to the clip or hook portion 3 and toprevent portion 3 from being sprung excessively out of its normalposition in relation to the head 2.

As is particularly shown in Fig. 2, wherein the device, shown in Fig. 1is illustrated in cross section, the forwardmost portions of theprotruding elements 2a, the aperture formed between the respectiveprojections or lugs 3a and the upwardly extending portion 2c, are insubstantially the same perpendicular plane when the device is insertedover the bead in a can for the purpose of lifting.

The modied form of the invention shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 differssomewhat in structure from that form otherwise shown in the drawing, inthat instead of clip portion 3 being formed integral with the handle,the said clip portion 3 comprises additionally a separate piece of metallying above but in the same general longitudinal plane of the handleportion I throughout approximately half its length, as particularlyillustrated in Fig. 5, and thence extends backward and upward in thedirection of the end of the handle to form a lever portion indicated bythe numeral 3b.

As shown in Fig. 6, clip portion 3 and its rearward projecting portionnear the handle is held in close but slightly movable relation to handleI by means of the pair of lugs Ib which are struck from the main bodyportion of the handle I and bent, as particularly shown in Fig. 7, tooverextend opposite sides of the clip portion 3. As

shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a further portion of the rearwardmost part ofthe clip 3,v indicated by numeral 3d, is struck out of portion 3b andbent downward to Contact handle portion I to act as an integrally formedspring element for the purpose of imparting spring-like action to thehandle 3b and the clip 3 formed integral therewith. The rearwardmostportion of the element 3b is preferably dished slightly as shown andindicated by numeral 3d to form a thumb-rest or thumbguiding portion.

That modied form of the invention shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 isparticularly useful in that, in this form of construction the clipportion 3 may be moved upwardly by downward pressure on lever portion 3bso that the bead of a receptacle may be more easily engaged by theseveral gripping elements shown on the drawing and above described.

The specific detail of the drawing and specication is not to beconstrued as limitations upon the invention, its concept or structuralembodiment as to the whole or any part thereof except as dened in theappended claims.

I claim:

1'. In a device for gripping beaded cans; a handle portion, and anangularhead portion, integral projections formed on said head portionand projecting from the face thereof; and a lever secured intermediateits ends to said handle portion and having integral lugs on the end ofsaid lever, and spring means for normally holding said lever inbead-engaging position.

2. In a device for gripping heated containers, an elongatedsubstantially flat handle, a head portion formed integral with saidhandle member and extending at an angle with respect thereto, a pair ofspaced apart lugs formed integral with said head portion and projectingfrom the outer fiat face thereof, a pair of lower spaced apart outerprojecting lugs formed integral with said head portion, and abead-engaging clip member having an angularly bent end formed integralwith said handle and projecting from the outer surface of said handleand of said head, said end being spaced apart from said first-mentionedprojecting lugs.

3. In an article of the described class, the combination of a handle, aclip lying in substantially the general longitudinal plane of thehandle,

downturned projections on said clip at substantially right anglesthereto, a downturned integral head portion at an angle to said handle,protrusions at the outermost end of said head portion, and a pair ofprojections extending outwardly from the face of said head portionsubstantially opposite said clip projections.

4. In an article of the described class struck from a single piece ofmaterial, the combination of a handle portion, an integral head portionformed at an angle to said handle portion, a clip struck from thematerial forming the device and extending outward from the face of saidhead portion, said struck-out clip forming an elongated aperture in saidhandle portion, downturned projecting lugs on said clip, a pair of lugsstruck and extending outwardly from the face of said head portion at thelateral edges of the aperture in said head.'

5. In a device for gripping beaded cans; a handle portion, and anangular head portion, integral projections formed on said head portionand projecting from the face thereof, a lever secured intermediate itsends to said handle portion and having integral lugs on the end of saidlever and extending toward said head projections, and a spring formedintegral with said lever and adapted to normally hold said angular lugsin bead-engaging position.

6. In an article of the described class the combination of a bodycomprising a handle portion, a head portion formed integral with saidhandle portion and extending at an angle thereto, protruding elementsformed substantially at the outermost end of said head, outwardlyextending lug elements formed intermediate of the length of said headportion, a guidable clip lying in a plane above said handle portion,lugs on said clip downturned in the direction of said head portion,means for retaining said clip in position above the body portion anddigitally operable means for varying the position of said clip relativeto said head.

'7. In a device for gripping and holding beaded receptacles, thecombination of a handle and an integral head portion formed angularlythereto froma single piece of metal, outwardly extending protrusionsformed at the extremity of said head for contact with a receptacle bodysubstantially below the bead of the receptacle, outwardly extendingprotrusions formed at the intermediate portion of said head for contactwith the outer surfaces of the receptacle below the bead thereof, and aspring-clip extending outwardly from and in the plane of the handle,said i spring-clip extending beyond said head and being bent downwardlyat its extremity in the direction of the head for contact with the topof the bead of the receptacle.

JOSEPH AGNEW FERRARA.

